1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of hand-held light sources. More particularly, this invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) flashlight lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of hand-held light sources which utilize LEDs, there are many devices with various applications including flashlights, signal sticks and lighted wands. Some devices provide omni-directional lighting for illuminating a region around the device in a fashion similar to a lamp. Other devices provide focused, concentrated or directional lighting for illuminating small regions or objects like a flashlight. Still other devices are used for signaling remote persons where neither omni-directional nor concentrated lighting is of importance.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,695 to Lin et al. discloses a signal stick including a handle enclosing dry-cell batteries, a connector with a circuit board mechanically and electrically connected to one end of the handle, a transparent sleeve connected to the connector and an inner tube mounted within the sleeve. The transparent inner tube supports three rows of LEDs, each row being of a different color (i.e., yellow, green and red). The Lin et al. signal stick has end caps but they are not reversible. The Lin et al. device is used to hand-signal traffic in combination with various combinations of the LEDs for visibility. The Lin et al. device does not provide light for use by the user, but rather for visibility during signaling to others.
Similar examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,423 to Lee and U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,568 to Dong et al. which disclose a hand-carried traffic control lights including a cylindrical handle holding batteries, a multi-stage switch cap, a longitudinal LED carrier extending from the handle and coupled to the batteries through the switch cap. The Lee apparatus includes a colored reflecting tube surrounding the LED carrier and an external tube surrounding the color reflecting tube. The Dong et al. device does not have an inner colored reflecting tube. Both devices have a conventional incandescent bulb mounted in an end cap for directional lighting.
None of the above patents appear to disclose an apparatus capable of being configured to operate as a lamp, a flashlight or both, wherein the apparatus is also watertight. It is desirable to have a lightweight device suitable for use in unlighted environments (e.g., in a tent at night, in a cave, in a dark room, etc.) that would provide light. Thus, there is a need in the art for a flashlight lamp.